Diary for Timothy, A
- Synopsis
- Documentary. Jennings’ deeply felt vision of life in Britain during the final year of World War II as lived by four representative characters - an engine driver, a farmer, a miner and an injured fighter pilot. The film takes the form of a diary covering the first year of a baby’s life born 3 September 1944. In one key sequence, London’s Haymarket Theatre is shown advertising a performance of Hamlet. John Gielgud is on stage acting the graveside scene (V i); a uniformed reservist in a canteen discusses the trajectory of the V2 bombs; Gielgud speaks the ‘Alas, poor Yorick’ lines and then there is an explosion close to the canteen; Gielgud continues performing as the reservist and others dig in the rubble for survivors.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Black-and-white / Sound
- Year of release
- 1946
- Duration
- 39 mins; 3,481 feet
Credits
- Director
- Humphrey Jennings
- Producer
- Basil Wright
- Cinematographer
- F Gamage
- Writer
- E M Forster
- Music
- Richard Addinsell
- Contributor
- Michael Redgrave
- Cast
John Gielgud Hamlet
Additional Details
- Theatre
- Theatre Royal, Haymarket
- Production type
- Documentary/Educational/News
- Plays
- Hamlet
- Subjects
- History
- Keywords
- Home Front; propaganda; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); World War II
Notes
- Notes
- The film is contained in The HUMPHREY JENNINGS COLLECTION distributed by Moviemail. Amazon.co.uk distributes the film within the title LISTEN TO BRITAIN AND OTHER FILMS BY HUMPHREY JENNINGS.
- General
- The Theatre Royal, Haymarket production of Hamlet was part of Gielgud’s repertory season at the theatre for 1944-45.
- History
- Filmed between Autumn 1944 and April 1945, but not released until 1946.
- Reviews
- Hodgkinson, A.W. & R.E. Sheratsky, Humphrey Jennings: More Than Just a Maker of Films. Hanover: University Press of New England, 1982. pp. 155-61.
Production Company
- Name
Crown Film Unit
Archive
- Name
BFI National Archive
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7436 0165
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Distributor (Hire)
- Name
BFI Film Bookings Unit
- bookings.films@bfi.org.uk
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/about-bfi/help-faq/film-bookings External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7957 8938 / 8935
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Diary for Timothy, A". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/5586 (Accessed 12 Nov 2024)